WWE News: Update On Nikki Bella’s Return Status And The State Of Her Finishing Move
Fans may have seen the last of the Bella Twins as a full-time act, at least in regards to in a ring on Monday Night RAW or SmackDown. But devoted followers of Nikki and Brie will still be able to get their fill in the reality television realm every fall. Season 6 of Total Divas is slated to premiere sometime after the summer, with the twins getting their own spinoff show, Total Bellas, which is scheduled for a similar launch date.
The last time we saw the Bellas on WWE programming, and not the E! network, was at WrestleMania 32 in Dallas at the beginning of April. Brie was a part of Team Total Divas, who took on Team B.A.D. and Blonde in a 10-diva tag team match on the super-sized kickoff show. Nikki was able to make an appearance at AT&T Stadium despite a neck injury that had kept her out of action since the previous October. Nikki came down the ramp after the match, won by the babyfaces, to celebrate with her sister and other fellow cast members of Total Divas.
That match ended when Brie Bella forced Naomi to tap out to the Yes! Lock, a move recently made famous by her husband, Daniel Bryan. Bryan was forced to retire from in-ring competition two months prior to WrestleMania, and Brie essentially retired after that 10-diva tag team match, going out on top by securing her team the victory. And while Brie has made it known that her intentions now are focused on starting a family with Daniel, Nikki has had every intention of returning to the ring.
According to the Daily Wrestling News, Nikki Bella held a Twitter Q&A Friday evening, where she announced that the goal was for her to be back with the WWE by the end of July. As noted, Nikki has been on the shelf dealing with a serious neck injury since late October of last year. She lost her Divas Championship at Night of Champions to Charlotte in September, ending her impressive reign of 301 days, the longest in WWE history. What will be interesting to see is how and where Nikki Bella fits into the landscape of the women’s division now, especially without Brie to capture the twin magic that’s accompanied them since their main-roster debuts in 2008.
The Bellas were first-hand witnesses to a re-branding that went from a Divas Revolution to the WWE Women’s Division that’s playing out now. The focus has been more on the in-ring product with more captivating storylines since the arrivals of Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and, more recently, Emma (despite an injury) and Dana Brooke. The WWE portrayed things in an “out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new” philosophy, with the Bella Twins representing the out-going veterans being replaced by this new crop of female superstars.
Nikki Bella has maintained that she isn’t ready to give up her spot yet, but she will have to give up the Rack Attack finisher she’s used as her signature move when she’s competed in singles matches. The move played a large part in Nikki requiring neck surgery, a setback that had been considered career-threatening at one point. During the Twitter Q&A, Nikki was asking her fans for help in coming up with a new finishing maneuver for when she gets back to the WWE.
As mentioned, Bella is hopeful to return to the ring by the end of next month. The WWE Draft and the subsequent brand split will have already materialized, so it will be interesting to see if she’s a part of the selection process despite not being ready to compete. However, it may be safe to assume that whatever show John Cena is drafted to (which has been rumored to be SmackDown), Nikki will join as well. WWE will be looking to keep company couples together after the brand extension, what with Cena and Nikki, Rusev and Lana, and Zack Ryder and Emma being items. The one wild-card couple will be Naomi and Jimmy Uso, as it has yet to be determined if the women and/or the tag teams will be designated for one show or split among both.
[Image via WWE]
